Contexts: Unit 4

        - What was the time period of the Greek Theatre?

  Greek tragedy was created in Athens around the time of 532 bC, when Thespis was the earliest recorded actor, but the Ancient Greek theatre history began around 700 bC with festivals honouring the gods. The most important god was Dionysus. Men used to perform songs to welcome him and the plays were only presented at his festival, “ City Dionysia”.
   The time period of Greek Theatre ended during the 4th century bC.

        - What else was happening at the time? Social etc.

   After the Great Destruction of Athens by the Persian Empire in 480 bC, the town and acropolis were rebuilt and the theatre became formalized and an even greater part of the Athenian culture and civic pride. The century is normally regarded as the Golden Age of Greek drama. The centre-piece of the annual Dionysia, which took place once in winter and once in spring, was a competition between three tragic playwrights at the Theatre of Dionysus.
 Each submitted 3 tragedies plus a satyr play (a comic, burlesque version of a mythological subject). Beginning in a first competition in 486bC, each playwright submitted a comedy. Aristotle claimed that Aeschylus added the second actor (deuteragonist) and that Sophocles introduced the third (tritagonist). Apparently, the Greek playwrights never used more than 3 actors based on what is known about Greek theatre.

        - Who were the dramatist of the day?

   Not all of the playwrights of that time are known today, but the most important dramatist are: Aeschylus (525-456 bC); Sophocles (495-506 bC); Euripides (480-406 bC); Aristophanes (450 bC).

        - What were their main plays?

    Their main plays, which are the main plays of Greek Theatre period are:
 Aeschylus: “The Oresteian Trilogy”, “Prometheus Bound”, “The persians”;
Sophocles: “Antigone”, “Ajax”, “Oedipus Rex”;
Euripides: “Medea”, “Electra”, “The Trojan Woman”;
Aristophanes: “The frogs”; “The birds”, “The clouds”.

        - What were some of the themes of the plays?

     The most common themes of the plays were love, loss, pride, the relationships between humans and gods, the abuse of power, death, brutal violence, supernatural.

        - Were they socially relevant? Why?

     Yes, they were socially relevant, because the theatre had the same objective it has in our days: to put a mirror in front of the humanity, to show the defects and problems the society has and to try to correct them. So, even though some of the plays from the Greek Theatre have a fantastic action, the playwrights were inspired by reality and everyone can see that.

        - What are the themes of the play you’re working on?

      I worked on a scene from the play “Antigone” by Sophocles. It is a tragedy whose protagonist is Antigone, a girl that has to deal with the deaths of her two brothers. The themes of the play are death, the duty to respect the gods’ laws, faith, sacrifice, love.